Despite the absence of Kristaps Porzingis and the premature exit of Jayson Tatum, the Celtics, like Jaylen Brown (28 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists), took the match by the horns. Bigger, faster and more physical than the Warriors, they do what they want on offense with 55% success, 42% at 3-points, and 5 offensive rebounds in the first quarter. On the other side, the pair Jrue Holiday – Derrick White (30 points) makes life difficult for Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and Boston logically takes the lead (40-30).
The Warriors, however, remain in the match thanks to the 6/8 3-pointers from the Klay Thompson (24 points) – Dario Saric duo. The entry of the leaping rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis (10 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks) allows them to finally protect their circle, and while Boston also loses its address from afar, Jonathan Kuminga (17 points, 7 rebounds) attacks the opposing racket to put Golden State in front (56-54). Derrick White and Jayson Tatum (15 points, 5/17 shots) however allowed the Celtics to react to take the lead at the break (65-62).
Stephen Curry blows up the Chase Center!
Boston confirms after returning from the locker room. Facing the Warriors without intensity, the Celtics resumed their circle attacks. Jaylen Brown provokes the 4th then 5th fouls from Stephen Curry in the middle of the third quarter, and a 22-8 puts Boston at +17 (87-70). While the Celtics have the game in hand, the Warriors are slowly but surely catching up.
Three mid-range shots from Chris Paul stabilized them, before Stephen Curry's return blew up the Chase Center. He scores 13 points to launch a 20-11 that brings Golden State back to a tie with 90 seconds left and finally sends the match into overtime (121-121)!
While points were rare in this extra period, 7 points from Stephen Curry, including a winning rainbow shot, killed the match and gave the Warriors their best victory of the season!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Remember spring 2022… The Celtics dominated this game. But as in the 2022 Finals, they experienced some air gaps which opened the door for the Warriors. At +17 in the third quarter, with Stephen Curry on the bench with 5 fouls, Boston began to outsmart and lose its rhythm. However, they had the opportunities to push Golden State back, like this action with 4 offensive rebounds in the last minute where they failed to score. They also missed open shot after open shot at 3-points, with a 5/18 in the last 17 minutes while Stephen Curry was 4/5 and allowed himself to bring out his famous “Night Night” to put the Celtics to bed .
– Jonathan Kuminga and Jackson-Davis like an air of renewal. Overwhelmed by Boston's athletic qualities to start the game, Steve Kerr had the good idea to trust Jonathan Kuminga and rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis, his only players capable of rivaling the Celtics in this sector. The former was excellent in the first half, helping the Warriors get back into the game and he limited Jayson Tatum to 5/17 on shots. The second-Davis started and finished his match with two impressive blocks on Jaylen Brown. He was logically preferred to Kevon Looney and Dario Saric to finish the match, and solidified his place in the rotation.
– Brandin Podziemski out with injury. The rookie, who recently took Andrew Wiggins' place in the starting five, left his partners in the last minute of the first half and had to forfeit the remainder of the match. His injury occurred when he wanted to set a delay screen on Neemias Queta. The replacement pivot for the Celtics then sent him packing. With Golden State's next game on Friday, the rookie has time to recover.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
